NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Public Lands Council (PLC) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote cooperative monitoring of grazing allotments on BLM lands. The MOU will help public lands ranchers and local BLM officials cooperate, collect and analyze data on range land health to ensure high quality management of federal land. The MOU is in effect from 2026 through January 2031.

“Federal land ranchers manage millions of acres of federal land through livestock grazing as well as voluntary conservation work, and ranchers strive to improve range conditions every day,” said PLC President Tim Canterbury. “To help boost these management efforts, data is needed to help ranchers make decisions on the landscape and this MOU will allow BLM and grazing permittees to better share the information that is key to those management efforts.

“We were finally able to sign this cooperative monitoring agreement with BLM. Earlier in 2023, we had signed with the USDA Forest Service and that is a huge deal for American producers operating on federal land. This MOU helps us bring all the knowledge that we’ve had for generations to the forefront, and the agency folks will use that information. That’s a big deal for a lot of America’s ranching families.”

The announcement came Feb. 2 at the gathering of CattleCon26 in Nashville. CattleCon 2026 was the 128th Cattle Industry Convention & National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show.

“The Public Lands Council is thrilled to join BLM in this cooperative monitoring agreement that will strengthen partnerships between agency officials and producers,” Canterbury said. “We look forward to continuing our work with BLM and utilizing this MOU to improve and to protect America’s treasured natural resources.”

The BLM administers nearly 18,000 permits and leases held by ranchers who graze their livestock, mostly cattle and sheep, at least part of the year on more than 21,000 allotments. Permits and leases generally cover a 10-year period and are renewable if the BLM determines that the terms and conditions of the expiring permit or lease are being met. The amount of grazing that takes place each year on BLM-managed public lands can be affected by such factors as drought, wildfire, and market conditions.

“Public lands ranchers are essential partners in sustaining healthy rangelands,” said acting BLM Director Bill Groffy. “Their on-the-ground knowledge and stewardship play a critical role in managing and protecting these resources for future generations. This MOU strengthens our ability to work side by side with permittees and other partners, ensuring that decisions are informed by sound data and collaborative monitoring. Together, we can achieve resilient landscapes that support productive grazing, healthy wildlife habitat and clean water.”

The MOU provides a clear path for more efficient data collection and information sharing between grazing permittees and BLM. The data collected by permittees through approved and agreed upon methods will provide the agency with a larger set of reference points when evaluating rangeland health and resource management and clear records of the positive results from producers’ investments in resilient rangelands, healthy wildlife habitat and robust watersheds.

BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska. BLM has headquarters in Washington D.C. and operates 12 state offices that have jurisdiction across the nation. Those states include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, Oregon/Washington, Nevada, Montana and the Dakotas, and finally, the Eastern States office (those east of the Mississippi).